The Oklahoma Sooners dominated the world of college football
during the 1950s. Under the leadership of Coach Bud Wilkinson, the
team won three national titles and established an astounding record
of forty-seven straight victories that still stands today. Yet by
1959, Wilkinson's Sooners were showing signs of vulnerability,
marking the start of a new and challenging era in Oklahoma
football. Then along came a new offensive strategy, and OU began to
dominate college football once again.In "Wishbone," veteran
journalist Wann Smith provides an in-depth account of Sooner
football from the team's final years under Wilkinson through its
remarkable turnaround under Coach Barry Switzer. At the heart of
this story is the phenomenal success of the Wishbone offense--a
hybrid offshoot of the Split-t formation that Wilkinson employed so
successfully in the 1950s. Though not without its risks, the
Wishbone offense changed the face of college football and was a key
factor in Oklahoma's resurgence in the 1970s with Switzer at the
helm. Drawing on firsthand accounts from coaches, players, and
university administrators, many never before published, Smith takes
us behind the scenes during this exciting comeback period to reveal
not just what happened but why and how it happened. And he brings
to life the personalities who played pivotal roles in the team's
renewed success, including Jack Mildren, Greg Pruitt, Joe
Washington, Billy Sims, and any, many others. Sooner fans, indeed
all fans of college football, will relish this account of the
remaking of a football powerhouse and its return to glory.
General
Imprint: |
University of Oklahoma Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
September 2011 |
First published: |
September 2011 |
Authors: |
Wann Smith
|
Foreword by: |
Jay Wilkinson
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 31mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Hardcover - Cloth over boards / With dust jacket
|
Pages: |
368 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-8061-4217-3 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
0-8061-4217-0 |
Barcode: |
9780806142173 |
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